Maille Street and In’am embody more of a spirit than just a brand. This feeling may come from Shenaz Currimjee, the design manager of Le Tricot Ltd. She conveys what the brands are about: quality and simplicity.

When Shenaz joined the family textile company five years ago, only Maille Street existed. The company, set up in 1994, sold mainly high-standard products on international markets. With offices in Europe, the business was doing well as the brand was recognised as a high-quality and timeless product.

There was a growing demand locally. This is how the first shop selling pullovers and tops opened in Grand-Bay in 1997. From the outset, it targeted one “species of customers”: tourists. Now there are Maille Street outlets around the island and it exports only 20% of the production – 2,500 to 3,000 units monthly.

“The main objective of selling most of our products locally is to keep control over our image,” Shenaz explains. The production of pullovers mainly under their own brand gives them full control. But an underlying reason may have urged them to concentrate on the local market. With the problems many of textile exporters, the fact that Maille Street and In’am are only found in Mauritius is an advantage. With time, customers have become regular; some who come two or three times a year even stop to say hello to Maille Street shop assistants before going to their hotels. They feel they have an “exclusive product” from Mauritius.

<B>Buying online with new website</B>

This is reinforced by an additional service the company offers: tailor-made products for customers. “This personalised service is appreciated. It started as a coincidence; we only wanted to please some customers. But it has become a major activity as it represents 200 to 300 products a month.”

With In’am, the objective was different – high-quality pullovers. All items of this brand are in cashmere. “It is incredible. Cashmere creates infatuation among our customers.” The first outlet, opened in 1999, offered more fantasy, more colours… in a nutshell, a much wider range. In’am even has a children’s collection, which people really enjoy.

According to the design manager, Mauritius has a real savoir-faire in these products. In her factory only, some women have been doing this job for thirty years, which ensures precision and quality of work. Although the products are quite expensive, customers do not hesitate over the price. “This is because they know our products are reliable. We use best quality materials from Italy and we pay the price for them. This is why a pullover can cost up to Rs 6,000. Some tourists are wealthy but very demanding. They expect quality and refined items but they don’t mind paying the price.”

The business works so well and tourists have shown such enthusiasm that the company has launched its web site from which people can order and buy. This follows a great demand from the customers to have access to products from abroad.

When you visit Maille Street or In’am, it is not just a shop; you step in a whole atmosphere. Shenaz insists that her shops have nothing to do with factory shops. There is a special ambience, which corresponds to the image; the shops are same standard as famous European shops.

According to Shenaz Currimjee, Mauritius could reach the level of countries like Italy in the textile business. However, the “tragedy” has been to focus on quantity rather than quality. There must be a balance between the two; this is why, Vieo industries, the sister company, which deals with exports, manufactures 30,000 items for brands such as Promod, Etam or La Redoute. People should tend to produce more high-quality products and this could well be the solution to the problems of our textile industry…

<B>A case of “catching the family bug”</B>

Shenaz Currimjee’s career deserves special mention. Of course, her family has been in textiles for 30 years and she grew up in this world. However, she decided to study literature and worked in publishing before coming back home. There, “I caught the family bug. I suppose it has always been part of me.” She was aware of the company’s image and had no difficulty in getting used the job though she knew nothing of the techniques at first. But, after two years within a highly experienced team, she launched her first collection of In’am, which was undeniably a success. “It was a real challenge to launch a new concept and take over Danielle Currimjee’s job in Maille Street when she left, but I suppose this is what I enjoy the most. The job is so varied and you always have to evolve with fashion. This is the most fascinating side!”